Marriage license Laws in the state of Georgia, here's what you need to know and what documents to bring with you before you apply for a marriage license. We recommend getting this legal aspect of your wedding out of the way about a month before your wedding date.

Legal Requirements:

1. The parties must be of sound mind, must have no living spouse from an undissolved prior marriage.

2. Persons related by blood or marriage, falling within the following relationships may not be married in Georgia:

father and daughter or stepdaughter

mother and son or stepson

brother and sister of the whole blood or half blood

grandparent and grandchild

aunt and nephew

uncle and niece

Identification Requirement:

Two valid forms of id such as drivers license, birth certificate, U. S. passport, Armed Forces ID card, or Resident Alien ID card. Applicants will also be asked to fill out a brief form.

Previous Marriage:

If divorced within six months, you will need to show a copy of your divorce decree.

Some counties require a final divorce decree no matter how long you have been divorced. You can obtain a copy of your final divorce decree from the Superior Court in the county in which you filed for divorce.

Waiting Period:

There is no waiting period for getting married in Georgia.

How Much a Marriage License Cost?

There are two sets of fees for marriage license applications.The fee is either $56.00 (without certificate*) or $26.00 (with certificate*). The application fee is waived when the couple seeking the license has completed a qualifying premarital education program. A *certificate of completion of a qualifying premarital education program in accordance with Code Section 19-3-30.1 must be presented for the $35.00 application fee to be waived.

In some instances, other minor charges may apply. Most probate courts accept cash, checks, and money orders but some ONLY ACCEPT CASH so please call to verify whether or not you need cash.

Premarital Education:

Under Georgia Law, a man and woman who present to the court at the time of making application a certificate of completion of a qualifying premarital education program shall not be assessed a marriage license fee. The premarital education shall include at least six hours of instruction involving marital issues, which may include but not be limited to conflict management, communication skills, financial responsibilities, child and parenting responsibilities, and extended family roles. The premarital education shall be completed within 12 months prior to the application for a marriage license and the couple shall undergo the premarital education together. The premarital education shall be performed by:

(1) A professional counselor, social worker, or marriage and family therapist who is licensed pursuant to Chapter 10A of Title 43;

(2) A psychiatrist who is licensed as a physician pursuant to Chapter 34 of Title 43;

(3) A psychologist who is licensed pursuant to Chapter 39 of Title 43; or

(4) An active member of the clergy when in the course of his or her service as clergy or his or her designee, including retired clergy, provided that a designee is trained and skilled in premarital education.

Cobb County offers a free Marital Workshop called Focus On Forever. It is a skill-based non-religious workshop designed to address issues concerning communication and listening skills, anger management, and financial planning. Contact the Cobb County Superior Court for more information.

By state law, counties in Georgia now charge more for a marriage license if you do not show certification of a premarital education program.

Other Tests:

As of July 1, 2003, blood tests are no longer required in Georgia.

Surname:

The applicants must designate on the application the legal surname that will be used after the marriage. An applicant may choose his or her given surname or his or her surname as changed by order of the superior court, the surname from a previous marriage, the spouse's surname, or a combination of the spouse's surname and the applicant's given or changed surname or surname from a previous marriage.

Common-Law Marriages:

No. However, common-law marriages will be recognized in Georgia if it was created before January 1, 1997.

Proxy Marriages:

No.

Under 18:

You must be at least 16 years of age in order to obtain a license in Georgia. If you are 16 or 17 years of age, both parents and legal guardians must give their consent in person unless his/her rights have been terminated by an Order of a court.

Name Change:

Getting a marriage license with your new name on it does not mean your name has automatically changed. If you need to change your last name, you can use an online marriage name change kit.